MAVOY MOVIE AWARDS 2021

All the winners are below.

Best Film - Soul

Since I saw Kaufman’s film, it felt easily like a best summary of 2020 – dark, gloomy, claustrophobic, entirely in enclosed spaces. So that was the original Best Film winner. But paradoxically, finishing the year I thought about surprising everyone and giving the title to animated film with more uplifting and future-focused vision. First, I thought of Weathering With You, but then I was fascinated by Soul, perhaps my favourite Pixar film and I decided to award it with out most important title.

Best Director - Chloe Zhao - Nomadland

I mean. who else, really? A few interesting newcomers in this category – and veterans as well, but the winner couldn’t be anyone else. This is the first female director with our award.

Best Lead Actress

Jessie Buckley – I’m Thinking Of Ending Things / Fargo

I first saw her in the series Taboo a few years ago and I was very impressed with young Irish actress, so I’m very satisfied with the progress of her career. She’s about to star next in new Alex Garland’s film, which may give her as well another MMA. Even if Carey Mulligan, our past winner, would absolutely deserve to win this year, too, but I wanted to give an award to somebody new.

Best Lead Actor

Mads Mikkelsen – Another Round / Riders Of Justice

Difficult decision. Very difficult decision. Very strong year. Anthony Hopkins was already our winner in the past. In the end, I had to choose between three actors with two amazing performances of the year. It’s controversial to say this about posthumous Oscar frontrunner, but either of the performances by usually brilliant Boseman failed my expectations (he’s more of a supporting player in D5B anyway), so I’m giving him a special award instead. Choosing between Riz Ahmed and Mads Mikkelsen is a harder choice and I was pretty sure to choose Riz (especially since I’ve seen one of two Mads films, Riders Of Justice, in last minute), but since I’m awarding him for the screenplay, I changed my mind and I’m giving this award to Mikelsen instead.

Best Supporting Actor

Leslie Odom Jr. - One Night In Miami

A lot of interesting performances. Daniel Kaluuya was particularly magnetic, but again, he already won once. I decided to give this award to one of fantastic One Night In Miami quartet – Leslie Odom Jr, for his fantastic impression of one of the best singers of all time, Sam Cooke. In a way, it’s also an award for Hamilton, which I couldn’t really include in these awards, since technically it is a few years old.

Best Supporting Actress

Carol Duarte – The Invisible Life

A proof that for me the awards “season” doesn’t have much of an importance - fantastic Brazilian drama The Invisible Life that was originally submitted to last year’s Oscars and I’ve seen it in March.

Best Child Actor or Actress

Tiara Richards – Buladó

Best Original Screenplay

Emerald Fennell - Promising Young Woman

Riz Ahmed – Mogul Mowgli

In one of the most important categories for me - two very original, uncompromising scripts. Debut filmmaker Emerald Fennell and the best, most surprising and provoking film about sexual assault of last few years. And Riz Ahmed, not just powerful musician and actor, but also great writer – with the best line of the season. The swastika one.

Best Adapted Screenplay

Charlie Kaufman – I’m Thinking Of Ending Things

I remember picking up this book soon after the film was announced, but gladly I didn’t remember enough to not enjoy the film when I eventually saw it. In a words of Jesse Plemons, one of the best working screenwriters „Kaufmanized” it.

Special Award For The Actor - Chadwick Boseman

Few famous deaths have affected me so deeply. When we didn't know about Chadwick Boseman's illness, he seemed to symbolize the power of Black Hollywood. Indeed, he played several African-American icons - and, by playing Black Panther, became one of them in the process. I was very curious to see what other ways this talented actor would surprise us, or if he would become interested in directing. While the last remnants of his career can be witnessed even in this particular week, I am still devastated that he is no longer with us. I can only thank him for his special vision and give him the first special Mavoy Movie Award.

Special Award For The Show - Last Week Tonight

It's amazing that after being unaware for a long time of what was so special about this Emmy-collecting show, I only started watching it in the spring of 2019. The fact that it seems like ages ago says it all. John Oliver's show impressed me with its very honest approach to the topics presented, its reasonable arguments - even if I don't always agree 100% with the opinions presented, I always like the perspective. Plus, the use of puppets and THAT musical number have been always top notch. But then came 2020, a year where it was really hard to get a laugh. And Last Week Tonight achieved something remarkable, still succeeding in doing just that, even if sometimes through the tears. I’m thinking especially about the episodes after George Floyd’s death. And even when it was hard to contain the fury over the subsequent actions of the now fortunately former government administration - and its conspiracy theory/neo-Nazi fans - the show always managed to surprise us with such fascinating subject matter as rat erotica in art. I'm generally anti-sports, but influenced by Last Week Tonight I started watching Marble League, every race. And while I look forward to when the show returns to the regular studio, and I know John may not admit it, but so does he - I know that every episode of the show brings me joy that I desperately needed. And I really love this man. He's not only a great comedian and an insightful investigator - he's also a good friend.

I also wanna thank all the writers past and present (because I’m also watching the old episodes for the first time, this show ages like a fine wine). You never know who comes up with the best joke...Next to John, that would be

Ali Barthwell, Ben Silva, Brian Parise, Charlie Redd, Chrissy Shackelford, Daniel O'Brien, Dan Gurewitch, Geoff Haggerty, Greg Iwinski, Jeff Maurer, Jill Twiss, Joanna Rothkopf, Johnathan Appel, Josh Gundelman, Juli Weiner, Kevin Avery, Liz Hynes, Mark Kramer, Owen Parsons. Seena Vali, Scott Sherman, Tim Carvell, Will Tracy

PS Also, Danbury, Connecticut can go **** itself

Best Comedy

Riders Of Justice directed by Anders Thomas Jensen

Best Genre Film

Two Distant Strangers directed by Travon Free and Martin Desmond Roe

Best Live Action Short

Feeling Through directed by Doug Roland

Nimic directed by Yorgos Lanthimos

Best Animated Short

Kapaemahu directed by Dean Hamer, Joe Wilson and Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu

Best Cinematography

Joshua James Richards – Nomadland

Best Editing

Deepu Joseph - Jallikattu

Best Sound Editing

Nicolas Becker - Sound Of Metal

Best Music

Ludwig Goransson – Tenet

Best Song

Emile Mosseri, Han Ye-Ri – Wind Song

I don’t think anyone expected this, but it’s not a huge surprise if you’d compare my Last.fm stats. I didn’t check, but I think it’s definitely most played of these songs (I also listened to it today as I’m writing this). It’s really magical and it’s introducing the mood of the film really well. It’s sung by Han Ye-Ri, who gives it a delicate, uplifting vibe. Which is interesting, since her character is more down-to-earth and sceptical than her optimistic husband, played by Steven Yeun. It’s also adding to the selection of these songs pleasantly international spirit, not often seen in American cinema.

Production Design

Peter Francis - The Father

Costumes

Francine Jamison-Tanchuk - One Night In MIami

Best International Film:

There Is No Evil (Iran) (directed by Mahmoud Rassoulof)

Weathering With You (Japan) (directed by Makoto Shinkai)

Best Animated Film

Soul

Weathering With You

Best Documentary

Andrey Tarkovsky - A Cinema Prayer (directed Andrei A. Tarkovsky)